Water sports, hiking trails and rock climbing: Chattanooga has become one of the most popular locations for outdoor recreation in the country. Now, it has been named one of the top ten best places for mountain biking by biking blog Singletracks.
With more than one hundred trails to choose from throughout the area, it’s no mystery why Chattanooga was featured among other biking paradises such as Colorado, Utah and Arizona.
Singletracks praises Chattanooga for its small-town feel, city nightlife and overabundance of trail options. With SORBA Chattanooga’s mission to create at least 100 Chattanooga bike trails, cyclists looking for variety are sure to find it on Raccoon Mountain, Five Points or White Oak Mountain, depending on how leisurely or challenging you want the ride to be.
Avid mountain bikers in Chattanooga can also look forward to the new and future renovations of Stringer’s Ridge, the Northshore wilderness park with nearly 100 acres of trails. Latest developments include an expansion of trails and overall park maintenance, thanks to Friends of Stringer’s Ridge and volunteer groups within Chattanooga.
One of these groups includes the Trek Bicycle Store. Tyler Klein of Trek Bicycles raves on the new park, calling it a “true gem.” He says, “You feel like you’re not even downtown; it’s a full-on workout.”
Klein also advocates Stringer’s Ridge for both experienced riders and new ones, although he calls Raccoon Mountain his favorite. Spring’s here—time to get pedalling.
— Leith Tigges